Silo-door



G. P. PIERCE.

SILO DOOR.

APPLl CATl0N FILED MAY 22'. 1911.

1,81 1,357. I Patented Jul 29, 1919.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH cm, WASHINGTON. D. c.

GEORGE P. PIERCE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SILO-DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed May 22, 1917. Serial No. 170,297.

To all whom it may 6076067171 Be it known that I, GEORGE P. PIERCE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of,Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Silo-Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to silodoors and aims particularly to provide astructure wherein the door may be-closely sealed in connection with thedoor frame during the normal operation of closing the same.

Primarily, my invention resides in the combination of a door frameconcaved to suit the curvature of-the silo, with a flexible door adaptedto be drawn into closing engagement with the frame. A further provisionresides in a structurewhereby this door is drawn toward'the door framefrom along its edges, thus causing it to assume the contour of the frameby drawing the outer portions toward-the center, which would naturallycause thefdoor itself-to bulge and this is resisted by the shape of theframe. Inthis manner, the door opening may be very conveniently sealed.v

A further object of the invention resides in a structure for attachingthe reinforcing rod to the door frame. This structure is particularlyadaptable to tile silos wherein the reinforcing rod is located betweenthe inner and outer faces of the tile sections.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanyingsheet of drawings, in which similar characters of reference designatecorresponding parts, and in which: 7

Figure 1 is a face view of my improved type of door,

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of F ig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing the manner in which thereinforcing rod is anchored to the door frame, and,

Fig. & is a section taken on line 4.4: of Fig. 2.

In these drawings, the door frame is designated in its entirety by thereference numeral 1. This frame is preferably of a unitary rigidconstruction whose legs are preferably U-shaped as is shown. This dooris particularly adapted for use in connection with tile or cement stavesilos, although it is not limited to such use. The one piece nature ofthe door frame is desirable in that I have provided means for anchoringthe ends of the reinforcing rods 2 thereto, by means of'the anchor clip3, shown in detail in Fig. 3. This clip is adjustably carried by theframe by means of the bolt and nut structure shown at 4 operating withinthe slot 5. By means of this, the clips may be adjusted vertically asmaybe desired to be properly located with respect to the relnforcing rods 2which are usually located between and within the mortar joints. Theopposite leg ofthe anchor clip 3 is also provided with'a slot shown at 6wherein the downturned end 7 of the reinforcing rod is located. j I Thedoor frame itself is placed vertically within the silo structure, but iscurved slightly to fit the general contour of the silo, as is shown inFig. 2. The door 8 for closlng the frame opening is of a size slightlylarger than the opening within the frame and is itself of slightlyflexible material. Along opposite edges I have located a reinforcementinthe form of an angle 9. It is by means of these angles that the door ismaintained rigid as regards its'longitudinal direction and it is also bymeans of these angles and thetruss bars 10, that the door is caused tobulge transversely to assume the contour of the door frame. The trussbars are each shaped as shown in Fig. 2 and are secured in the upper andlower ends of the reinforcement angles 9 by bending down their ends asis shown at 11. Atapproximately the center of each, there is provided ahead portion 1.2, which is drilled and tapped toreceive the threaded endof the eye bolts 13; The heads 14 of these bolts operate in connectionwith clips 15 and 16 respectively, carried by the ladder rungs 17 and18'. It will be understood that these clips 15 and 16 are secured inpermanent relation with the door frame, but inasmuch as ladder rungs arenecessary in silo construction, I have attached these rungs directly tothe door frame and supported the clips therefrom. The clip 15 isprovided with a downwardly projecting slot 19 in which the head It ofthe upper bolt operates and this clip is rigidly secured to the ladderrung, while the clip 16 is pivotally secured to its ladder rung 18, asis shown at 20 and is provided with a laterally projecting slot 21. Thisarrangement is resorted to in order topermit the clip 16 swinging out ofinterfering position after the door has been removed.

Inasmuch as the two truss bars 10 are operatively connected with theflexible door 8 adjacent itsvertical edges, a pulling action along theseedges, will cause this door to buckle from the center and in so doing-,-

' inherent resiliency and by so doing, the edges of the ,doors arepulled toward 'the door frame and at the same time the center bulges tocause a tight sealing. engagement between the door and frame. Theangleclips 3 are adjusted to the desired position while the silo is beingbuilt, to enable the reinforcing rods 2" to 'be secured in position and,because of the unitary nature of the door frames, these frames virtuallyform a continuation of the reinforoing rods,

What I claim is: j

1. In a silo, an arcuately shaped door frame, a flexible door, and meansfor looking said door in said'frame by bulging said door centrallyagainst said frametogmake it assume the frame contour. v

2; In a silo, a, door frame, a, flexible door, and means forforcing'said door into engagement with said frame to make it assume theframe contour by a resultant pulling action from the edges of thedooroutwardly and toward the center-of the door.

3. In a silo, atransversely curved door frame, a flexible door, a trussbar engag ng said door at opposite longitudinal edges,

and means operating between said truss and said frame at a pointintermediate the ends of the truss for pulling it toward said frame tomake the door assume the shapeof the frame.

4;. In a silo, an outwardly curved door frame, a flexible door adaptedto be correspondingly curved against the inside of the frame, andlockin'gfme ans located outside the silo arranged to draw said door fromCopies of this patent'nzay be; obtained for adjacent its edges to bulgeit outwardly against its frame to make it assume the contour .of'tlleframe.

5. In a silo, a door frame, a flexible door adapted to fit against theinside of said frame, and locking means located outside the siloarranged to draw said. door-from adjacent its edges outwardly at anangle toward its center against its frame to make it assumeithe contourof the frame. v

6. In a silo, an outwardly curved door frame, a flexible door adapted tobe correspondingly curved against the inside of the frame,' verticallyarranged reinforcing members located adjacent the side edges of saiddoor, and'spaced adjustable locking means anchoredin (said members atone end and effective to pull at an outwardly directed angletom'akejsaid door bulge centrally to assume the-contour of its frame.

7. a silo, a vertically extending door framerurved transversely, afleXible door slightly larger than they opening in said frame,.clips"spaced alongthe vertical edges 7 of said door, a trussbar adjacent theupper and Ilower edges of saidfdoor each .connectedwlth said clips, andmeans operating between each "truss ntermediate its ends and" said framefor pulling said trusses out- 7 wardly.

:8. Iiisilo, a vertically extending door frame/curved transversely, aflexible door slightly larger than the opening in said frame, clipsalong the vertical edges of said door, a truss bar adjacent the upperand lower edges of ,said .sdoor each connected with said clips, and ascrew threaded into each truss bar intermediate its ends from said frameto draw said door against said five cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 03" i

